The gardens at Pear Tree Cottage sit in a cider apple orchard in the green and rolling countryside of Worcestershire, England. It enjoys a sunny south westerly aspect with sweeping views across to Martley Hillside, Woodbury & Abberley clock tower. The Teme Valley lies just over the hill and, not far away, is the Herefordshire border. Although our climate is temperate, our seasons are often uncertain and always a challenge to a gardener!

15 June 2017

A Real Yewlogy!

The mirror door.

Not a surprise in sight!

One hedge hiding 3 surprises! We have a mirror door, a window aperture and some secret steps all hidden in a yew hedge. No three features can be seen from one aspect but they're all there - hiding and waiting to surprise the unwary! The mirror door is just a garden feature. However, the aperture ensure that the utility room has access to light and the secret steps provide a shortcut from the barbecue terrace to the pond and Henclosure.

The shaping of the Yew hedge itself was started 2 years ago. In time we hope to mimic the random cushioned shapes achieved at Powys Castle and Bramton Bryan. By comparison, ours will be in miniature and, given the huge age of their hedges; we still have a very long way to go to achieve a compact and dense appearance.